Chris rode out of town, taking the route Vin had taken in the morning. Unless the tracker had been following some false leads, he was pretty sure where he'd find him. A little less than an hour later he was proven right, as he spotted his quarry off in the distance, riding slowly toward town. He rode out to meet him.
"No luck Chris. No sign of him. Of course, maybe you think that was good luck." Taking out his fatigue and frustration on Chris wasn't entirely fair, but he couldn't get past the idea that some of the blame for all of this was on him. On all of them, if he was being honest. Maybe if their initial doubts and concerns about Ezra hadn't become common knowledge, the town would have been more accepting of him, and just maybe at least a few people might have come to his defence over these ridiculous accusations. When he got no response to his small tantrum he knew something was up.
"Josiah found him."
"From your tone, I'm guessing things didn't go well."
"Hold up Vin." The two men stopped riding. "He found Ezra hurt. Bad. Nathan's working on him."
Vin felt a pit forming in his stomach. "Hurt how?"
"Somebody beat on him. Looks like it happened soon after he left town. Did one hell of a job."
"He say who did it?"
"He can't say much of anything. Unconscious since he was found."
After sizing up Chris's tone and posture, Vin felt a heaviness come over him. "He ain't gonna live, is he?"
Wishing he could lie yet knowing the truth was going to make it harder for Vin to do what was going to be asked of him, Chris swallowed hard before speaking. "Can't say for certain, but no, I wouldn't be placing on money on it."
"Then what the hell are we sitting out here for?"
Chris reached out and caught Vin by the sleeve before he could get going. "You can't help him there. You – we – might be able to at least get him some justice another way."
Reluctant to listen, Vin nevertheless exercised his patience as Josiah's plan was outlined. And like Chris's own reaction had been, the tracker hated it, but knew it was likely the only way to find out what happened before anything else went tragically wrong.
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Buck was, as expected, having dinner with Clarice when Chris got back into town. He joined them at the table, not bothering to take a seat.
"You look beat Cowboy."
He was too preoccupied with the situation to even bother challenging the label. "Everything quiet in town?"
"As much as ever. JD is doing a patrol around the town limits, but given our numbers, we figured it was best to stay close. Where'd you disappear to?"
"Got in my head it would be smart to check up on Friesen's family. None of them are sick, so we likely don't have a problem, but I think it's best if folks stay way from the church for couple days until Nathan can confirm all of that."
"So, this is nothing that might quarantine the town?"
Clarice's voice was tinged with a bit more concern than Chris thought was warranted, but maybe that was just because he was considerably more suspicious of everything right now. He wasn't totally surprised by her comment.
"See no reason to stop anyone from coming in. Or going out. That what you have planned?"
Buck looked him in the eye as he answered. "We both will be leaving just a soon as things get back to normal here. Don't want to leave you short handed, so we can wait for Josiah and Nathan to be back on duty."
"Just like that? No talk on the matter?"
"What is there to talk about? Vin, Josiah, hell – even JD are taken sides against Clarice. Doesn't seem any point to staying and putting her through that."
For the briefest of moments Chris considered pulling a chair over and really talking things out, but this wasn't the time or place. Buck probably wouldn't believe him anyway, and things were tense enough as is it was.
"They've got their loyalties Buck. Can't dictate to a man how to think. Anymore than I can tell you not to leave. If you don't have any trust in them, then you do what you have to. If that means moving on then I'll be sorry to see you go. Imagine they will too. I would like to talk on it some, maybe tomorrow?" He waited for a response but got none. "I'm going to the church to check on things there." He turned and left.
"Buck, darling, if you don't want to leave then you shouldn't be doing it because of me."
He looked at Clarice, his heart torn. The friendship with Chris went back so far he wondered at times if there had ever been a time they weren't together. Kin couldn't be closer. And the others had been settling quickly into that same place. Now, in the space of just a couple of days, that had all fallen apart. No, he didn't want to leave. He liked the life he had here. The problem was, he could no longer imagine going on without Clarice as a part of it. Try as he might, he saw no way that could happen, and he was at a loss for what to do.
She smiled at him in that way that made it impossible for him to think straight. "You need to go talk to your friend. Talk to all of them. I understand their loyalty, and as much as I might like to resent them for it, I can't. Truth be told, I kind of admire it. They don't know me, and they do know – or rather thought they knew – him."
"That's just it Clarice. We obviously didn't know him well enough. But it should have been enough to know that we never should have trusted him. What I don't get is why they don't see that?"
"They will. When the shock of all this goes away, they'll come to understand. I love the fact that you are so willing to defend me Buck, but not at any price. Please, if not the others, at least try to remain friends with Chris. For my sake?" Because if you don't, she thought to herself, this whole thing may go up in smoke.
"I'll talk to him in the morning. See what we can settle on. But no promises."
Sipping at her coffee, she gazed at him over the rim of the cup. "Knowing what you are doing, what you are going through just for me – I can't tell you how much that means to be Buck. You're the first man I have been able to trust in far too long."
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The church was quiet when Chris came around to the back. Hoping that wasn't an omen of any kind, he knocked lightly on the temporary door and slid the wooden plank to the side. He'd have to remember to help Josiah fix that up properly when this was all over.
A lantern lit the back corner of the space. Nathan was stretched out on the front pew. He looked to be asleep, but Chris was certain the faintest suggestion of movement from Ezra would have him on his feet in an instant. Josiah sat close to the makeshift bed, watching closely.
It was Abram that Chris went to first. Jacob was sleeping on the pew behind his father. "Rode past your place. Caleb made it home safe. I told your wife we'd try to get you home tonight. Going to load your wagon with some supplies and hide you in with them. I'm assuming Jacob there can manage getting you home."
"Yes, he is quite capable that way. I think it would be best for your friend if such a performance waited for morning. People would expect my boy to stay with me for the night."
Chris nodded, grateful for the cooperation. "Yes, that would make sense. We could have you going at first light. Few folks up and about will make it easier." He started to turn away when it occurred to him there was something else needing to be said. "I want to thank you for everything you've done for us. I know it's not comfortable for you."
"It was the Christian thing to do. Nothing more than that."
Josiah hadn't moved during the conversation, nor did he even glance up a Chris approached. "You found Vin?"
"His reaction to your idea was about the same as mine, but he's going along with it. It's gonna get ugly in town tomorrow."
Taking a moment to gently wipe Ezra's face clean of the fever induced sweat, Josiah nodded. "It's already ugly Chris."
"Any change Josiah?" Nathan was sitting up, watching the two men. When Josiah shook his head sadly, he leaned back into the bench. "Can't honestly figure out how he's even still breathing."
Chris took the cue and came to sit next to him. "How bad?"
"Lost count of the number of stitches I had to put in him. He's deep cut in 'bout a dozen places and a few more less serious wounds on top of that. Ribs, front and back, are busted. From the trouble he's having breathing, I'd say his lungs were damaged – bruised bad at a minimum. Spittle was bloody before, but that seems to be settled some, so with luck that bleeding isn't critical. There was more bleeding inside, but I think it's all stitched. Hope so." He took a deep breath, trying to stay detached and only barely succeeding. "You want a list of broken bones? On top of the ribs there's his collarbone, jaw, left arm and hand, his nose. His one ankle is swollen up, so that's on the list too."
He paused. There was more, but he didn't want to say it out loud. It somehow made it more serious to do so. Feeling Chris's eyes on him, he sighed softly before resuming.
"Cheekbone is busted too. The way it broke, it might have affected his eye. It's bloody and so swollen I can't say for sure, but he might lose the left eye."
Chris cursed under his breath. He didn't see a way this could get worse, but he knew from reading Nathan's body language that it was about to.
"Number of hits he took to the head, there's gotta be bleeding in there Chris. I can't do anything about that. Was hard enough to stitch up what I could, but I don't know how to do something like that. And with him layin' outside all night, I doubt anything anyone could do would be in time now anyway."
"So IF he wakes up, he might not be all there?"
Nathan offered half a grin, trying desperately to put some kind of hope into the conversation. "Well, given how damned good Standish is at cheating, I don't see why he wouldn't be the one man who could cheat death as well."
After sitting quietly for a moment, watching Josiah minister to Ezra, Chris stood slowly and left the church and headed home for the night.
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The tension in the town that developed the day Ezra left hadn't faded yet. There was confusion mixed in with it as people tried to decide which side to take in the standoff. No one was rushing to defend Ezra, but they weren't quite ready to berate the men who did. It didn't take a genius to know that alienating the people who defended the town wasn't the smartest play they could make. Not to mention the fact that, for the most part, the men were well liked. JD and his infectious enthusiasm and bad jokes brought a smile to peoples faces. Vin, with his soft spoken ways and gentle manners was a welcome face as well, and the simple fact that Josiah was building a church for them made him a valued member of the community. But morally, they were siding with Buck and his defence of a wronged woman. Not that the showdown in the street had been appreciated, but it was most definitely understood.
So as Buck made his way through town mid-morning he was acknowledging waves and greetings from almost everyone he passed. The only awkwardness came when he spotted JD leaving the boarding house. The two formerly close friends now barely spoke beyond what was needed for the job they shared. Buck avoided having to speak to him now by cutting across the street, knowing he would find Chris at the jailhouse.
Barely looking up from the papers he was reviewing at the desk, Chris waved a Buck to take a seat.
"So, you staying around?"
Buck was taken aback by the abruptness. "That's kind of to the point, isn't it?"
"I've got to make some plans and need to know where I stand. Vin should be back later today, I hope. Josiah is staying in the church, since it looks like he might be getting sick too. Assuming Nathan stays healthy, that's going to be just four of us, and I'm going to need a couple to ride escort for someone coming to town."
"Since when to we do that?"
"Since Judge Travis asked us to. He is the one who pays us, in case you forgot."
He hadn't been expecting that much attitude coming at him. "What flew up your ass Larabee? Not my fault we're shorthanded. I didn't ride out of town on some wild goose chase like Tanner, and I sure as hell didn't do anything to get myself run off either."
"I don't have time to worry about hurt feelings. There's a guy –" he looked down at the desk again, searching for a piece of paper "- name of McHenry coming into town with more cash than any sane man would carry. He's buying up properties and Travis figures he needs someone watching out for him."
"That's just what we need. When does this happen?"
"Waiting for confirmation on timing, but we're supposed to meet him this side of Kinstone Pass. He'd rented his own small stagecoach and will have an bodyguard till he gets to Maple Ridge."
That meant it was likely to be short notice. Buck supposed that was the idea, to make sure few people knew what was going on. But under the present circumstances, it was less than ideal.
"Yeah, to answer your question, I'll stick around. For a bit."
"Still planning on leaving after that though, aren't you?"
"Why would I stay?"
That was a response he hadn't expected. Apparently friendship and all that they had been through together meant nothing in the face of supposed true love.
"If you can't come up with a reason, I'm not going to do it for you." He stood up and opened the door, standing out of the way so that Buck would get the message. "I'll let you know when I'm going to need your help."
He watched as Buck left, hating that it was on these terms, and equally hating the fact he was using the man. It didn't help matters at all that he knew things were only going to get worse.
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Balancing on the two back legs of the chair that sat outside the jail house, Chris looked to the sun to figure on the time. Close to noon. He was expecting Vin to arrive any time now and set things in motion. The town was active, as expected. That was the reason behind the time. The more witnesses to this the better.
He tilted his hat down to shade his face and hide his gaze from passersby. He watched everyone who was on the street. Everyone who went in or out of any building. There were few unfamiliar faces in Four Corners at any time. Spotting no one he couldn't place, he cast his mind back over the past few days. There had to have been someone in town who was an unknown element. Someone who had been watching them. Watching everything. No face came to mind.
Hoofbeats pounding into town alerted him to the fact the show was about to start. He resisted the urge to get into the street ahead of schedule but waited for his moment.
"Where are you Wilmington? Get your ass out here!"
Barely waiting for his horse to come to a complete stop, Vin dismounted. His shouts did exactly as they were intended to, bringing those on the street to a standstill, and drawing others out of there homes or workplaces. Buck appeared from the saloon, looking understandably confused.
"He left town you son-of-a-bitch. But that wasn't good enough for you though, was it?" Vin charged up to him, shoving him backwards.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You killed him, didn't you? You killed Ezra!"
There were gasps from the crowds, and several townsfolk, reading the mood correctly, headed for cover.
"Standish is dead?"
Vin turned and walked a few steps away, clenching and releasing his fists in an effort to try to control himself. He faced his foe again. "You're gonna stand there and tell me you didn't know? Didn't do it? Didn't beat him to death and leave him in the middle of nowhere for the animals to scavenge?"
Shit. No one deserved to die like that. It took Buck a moment to realize he what he was being accused of.
"Are you loco Vin? You think I'd do that? For God's sake, if I'd beaten someone to death, don't you figure it'd show on my hands?" He held them up to prove his point.
"Not with your riding gloves on."
"I haven't got a mark on me Vin. You telling me Ezra just stood still and let me do something like that?"
Chris spoke from the door of the jail. "He just stood there when you drew on him. Why would this be different? And if you got the drop on him…"
"So not only did I beat him to death, I sucker punched and just kept going when he did nothing? You really think I would do that to him? To anyone?"
Chris took a few steps forward. "To anyone – no. To him? Gotta say Buck, you sure as hell have been acting like you would."
"You didn't have to do this Buck. That's what makes me so damned sick. He was gone – left town but that wasn't enough. You hunted him down like some animal."
"Where's your proof? If you're making claims like that, you damn sure better of something to back them up Tanner."
Vin was pacing angrily as he answered. "Got as much proof on this as you had on Ezra. Gut instinct. You didn't need more than that to try to kill him in town. Then you just had to follow up later."
"Where is he Vin?" Chris asked in solemn voice.
"Found him in a gully north of town. Beaten to death."
"Found who?" JD rode up, hearing only the last couple of sentences but knowing from the scene that something was very wrong.
Vin looked up at the worried face of their young colleague. This was the moment he was most dreading in this whole plan. They had agreed JD couldn't be let in on any of it, but this still seemed too cruel.
Chris spoke up, sparing at least one of his friends some of the hardship. "Ezra's dead kid. Vin found the body."
"No. That can't be. How? Why?" He slid from his horse and turned toward the undertaker's building.
"He ain't there kid. I took him to Eagle Bend."
JD's voice was shaking. "Why didn't you bring him home?"
"Because it seems this ain't his home. He wasn't wanted here. I sure as hell wasn't going to leave him to be handled by the folks that drove him away. Or by the man that did this."
Vin turned his gaze back to Buck, who took a few strides forward. Chris stepped between the two men. "Hasn't there been enough of that? Vin go cool off. You too Buck."
"Not cooling off. I am going though. Out of town. I'm done here."
JD couldn't stand the thought of another man leaving the team. "No Vin. You can't. Chris, tell him he can't go."
"It's clear this town doesn't want certain types around. If Ezra wasn't good enough for everyone here, I don't guess I am either." Vin headed for the wagon he called home. "I'll be gone in hour. Send my wages to the undertaker in Eagle Bend. Owe him for taking care of Ezra."
The street went still. Spectators disappeared into the closest refuge they could find, anxious to be away from the fallout of the scene. Chris watched Vin walk away before he returned to the jail. That left JD in the street, looking lost. He turned toward Buck, not moving any closer, but watching him for several seconds.
"You going to ask me if I did it?"
JD hesitated, finally speaking when he thought he had his voice under control. "I don't think I want to know."
"Good to know I've got the support of my friends."
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tbc
